I received
am email recently asking me if I’d be interested in teaching at a local jail.
The coordinator sent out an email to all of the teachers in the programme
asking who would be interested. Only a small number of us replied as far as I
know. I’ve mentioned this opportunity to a few other people and only 1 in 20
has been positive and supportive. Most are worried I’ll be hurt…. Wow
All we were
asked is if there was any interest. Not that the programme was a go or anything
like that. All my coordinator needs is commitment from instructors so she can
put a proposal together for funding, etc.
I’ve been
pretty jacked about the opportunity to teach at this institute. I was driving
for a couple of hours yesterday and was mulling over this over. I realize why I
am so excited.
I believe in
new beginnings.
My inspiration - Sunrise over the 401 near Napanee Ontario
It really is
that simple. New beginnings. Every morning brings with it a new reality. We
cannot escape our past but our past is not a prison, not a prison guard, not a
sentence. Our past, if we use it wisely is a teacher. We use today to the very
best of our abilities to be a positive one. We use today to plan for tomorrow.
We use the past to guide us to making better decisions. But all we have is
today.
Emerson says
something along the lines of Today is King. It really is. What is a King? A
monarch, the head honcho. What does a King do? He uses his Sages – his
yesterdays – to help him make decisions to make things better tomorrow.
So what am I
doing that makes my teaching a “new beginning”?
All I do is
teach botany and a few other plant related sciences. Most of my apprentice
students are in my class because they are searching for something. You see,
people seem to get into horticulture or landscaping from a few sources and they
are usually all related to general labour. Work for a relative, like it, study
it, “career it”. That’s how I got into this. Get a job in high school, like it,
study it, “career it”. That’s also how I got into this. Can’t find your way,
stagger from general labour job to general labour job, finally stumble into a
landscaping company, garden centre or greenhouse or nursery, like it, study it
and “career it”.
Its not like
being a nurse or an engineer. Most of society really has a negative bias to
these trades. I am not entirely sure why. But there is a bias. So when I get
students in front of me, they are usually there on their own journey of “new
beginning”.
I feel as if
I am going through a new beginning every morning. I heard yesterday that
“gratitude is the antidote to negativity.” Wow. Ain’t that just so. This
morning I woke (a couple of times, truth be told – we stayed up too late last
night) and went through my gratitude “prayer”. I consciously go through a list
of everything in my life I am grateful for. The top of my list every morning
are Linda, Morgan and Ainsley. Every morning there is a slightly different list
past that but there is a list.
As I am
finishing thinking about what I am grateful for, I can focus on making today
count.
Every
morning is a new beginning. So when I was asked if I can help some people who
for whatever reason have been Guests of the Crown for the past little while, I
think my subconscious mind told me there were some people looking for a new
beginning. The Universe has been kind to me. I believe it is my responsibility
to pay forward that kindness. I really hope this programme goes through. Not
only for the students but for what it will help me become.
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